Hospitality & Tourism

Visitor-related activity is very important to the regional economy. In 2014, 32.7 million people visited the state, a tourism record, and nearly 42% of those visitors came to the Albuquerque metro region (hundreds of thousands of whom came during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta alone). Visitor driven economic development includes conventions, cultural tourism, agritourism, ecotourism, and adventure tourism.

Strategies

Continue efforts to improve Downtown Albuquerque’s vibrancy due to its importance in the convention and tourism industry

Create a cultural corridor from Belen to Bernalillo and beyond by capitalizing on the NM Rail Runner Express and other cultural assets along the route

Create destination routes for culture, creative arts and agritourism and improve on the experiential tourism offerings

Identify and target industry-specific conventions with local economic leaders to bring the right decision makers to Albuquerque

Improve transportation throughout the region for convention delegates and visitors

Improve visitor signage and readiness throughout the region

Increase funding to target-market key meetings, conventions and events so the region can attract the very prospects that our local economic development agencies target. These events create valuable exposure and create direct opportunities for economic development agencies to connect with decision makers

Increase in-state pride so that every resident is an ambassador for visitors

Increase marketing to draw attention to the technology/creative culture in this region

Provide a training program for front line staff in the visitor driven economy to improve the rate of repeat visitors

Put Rail Runner spurs at the Airport, Balloon Fiesta and the Spaceport. This will facilitate travel to key tourism points as well as create job access for local residents

ABOUT MRCOG

The Mid-Region Council of Governments serves the counties of Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance and Valencia in the areas of transportation, planning, water, economic development, workforce, land use, and agriculture.